New Delhi: India has been ranked 112th among 166 countries for its performance in 2023 towards achieving United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals.The ranking is based on the ‘State of India’s Environment 2024 report’, published by the think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) – the data for which is drawn from the UN-backed Sustainable Development Report 2023.Although India has improved its ranking from the previous year – it was 121st in 2022 – it still trails countries like Bhutan (61st, the best in South Asia), the Maldives (68th), Sri Lanka (83rd), Nepal (99th) and Bangladesh (101st). Pakistan is at 128th while Afghanistan is 158th.“India is behind many South Asian countries in (its performance towards) achieving its Sustainable Development Goals, and it seems that its economic process has not adequately rubbed off on the parameters linked to broad societal quality of life agendas,” the former UN undersecretary-general for economic and social affairs, Nitin Desai, told The Telegraph.With a score of 63.45% in 2023, India marked a small improvement over the previous year’s 60.3%.On specific parameters of “reducing inequalities” and “life on land”, India’s performance has deteriorated. Life on land relates to conserving biodiversity, where India is close to the bottom of the table.The country has also fared poorly on parameters such as “sustainable cities”, “equality”, “clean water and sanitation” and “peace, justice, and strong institutions”. Its performance in relation to “no hunger” and “sustainable cities and communities” has also stagnated.However, its performance on “poverty” and “sustainable consumption” indicators appears to have remained on track.In 2015, the UN adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to end poverty and protect the planet, and to ensure that by 2030 everyone enjoys peace and prosperity. However, experts say the 2030 deadline is unlikely to be met.
